FFA creed providing strong statement about ag's future

“I believe in the future of agriculture with a faith born
not of words, but of deeds.” — Those powerful words belong to the opening
sentence of the FFA creed, which was written by E.M. Tiffany.

One of the first responsibilities of an FFA member is to
memorize all five paragraphs of the creed and the meaning of each one. Once an
individual recites those famous words, they are not easily forgotten.

I first learned the FFA creed more than 10 years ago, and
whenever I hear the phrase, “I believe,” I immediately begin saying the rest of
the creed in my head.

To me, the FFA creed is more than just a bunch of words
written down on a piece of paper. It was — and still is today — a true
expression of those who dedicate themselves to working in the agriculture
industry.

Take the very first sentence of the creed as an example. The
population of the world is estimated to be upward of nine billion people by the
year 2050.

If farmers and those involved in the agriculture industry
just sit around and talk about ways to grow and produce enough food to feed such
a large population, instead of actually taking steps to achieve the goal, there
will be a lot of hungry people in the years to come.

I feel that the words of the creed are so important that
they should be adapted so other groups can use them, as well.

The only way that those not associated with farming and
agricultural practices are going to learn about them is by the agriculture
community sharing the importance of what goes on daily on a farm operation and
why they believe in the future of agriculture.